Media and Communications Department, Karlstad University, Sweden
Next 2.0
Call for papers
Digital technologies are changing the way we live. Webs of connection are being formed. Networks are becoming a way of life. New collective forms of cultural production and exchange are evolving from the communication practices supported by digital media. Theorists and critics are investigating the place of digital media artifacts in social, philosophical, and critical contexts.
NEXT 2.0 will bring together for a second time in Karlstad an international field of practitioners and scholars engaged in the work of making these technologies meaningful for contemporary culture. An academic conference and an artistic exhibition, NEXT 2.0 will represent a unique forum for celebrating and critiquing the techniques, forms, and aesthetics of digital media.
CONFERENCE THEMES
Creating Content for Interactive New Media
One of our themes is to develop alternative approaches to the design of content and narrativity in interactive digital environments. How is storytelling and narrative evolving with the development of new interactive forms such as the interactive film and DVD technology? How have artists developed alternative approaches to the design of interactive digital environments? The explosion of new approaches to creating content for new media will require the use of a wide spectrum of traditions, genres, styles and disciplines, ranging from theatre to music to film.
HumanIT
An exploration of the human values of technology. What is the value of modern information technology to people? How do we ensure that the technological progress that is being made serves humanity in the best possible way? Issues of design, mobility, usability, privacy, and information stress are of interest here.
Virtual Globalization
Digital technology, under the auspices of the "IT Revolution" is often associated with globalization. Pundits claim that technologies such as the web will usher in a new and more democratic world. Critics, on the other hand, point out that IT will do no such thing and that the many claims of its revolutionary potential are overblown and naïve. We invite presentations that enter into this debate and more specifically investigate the links between the economic, political and social effects of the combined forces of globalization and information technology.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS / ARTISTS
*Stelarc- Stelarc is an Australian artist who has performed extensively in Japan, Europe and the USA- including new music, dance festivals and experimental theatre. He has used medical instruments, prosthetics, robotics, Virtual Reality systems and the Internet to explore alternate, intimate and involuntary interfaces with the body. He has performed with a THIRD HAND, a VIRTUAL ARM, a VIRTUAL BODY and a STOMACH SCULPTURE. Recently he completed EXOSKELETON- a pneumatically powered 6-legged walking machine actuated by arm gestures. Current projects include the EXTRA EAR - a surgically constructed ear as an additional facial feature that coupled with a modem and a wearable computer will act as an internet antenna, able to hear RealAudio sounds.
(Additional speakers and artists will be announced shortly.)
PAPER SUBMISSIONS
Scholars and artists working in digital media, theory, and criticism are encouraged to submit proposals to present their work at the conference. Presentations may be in the form of scholarly papers or presentations; or performance, installations, or sculpture incorporating digital technologies, interactive or digital video, virtual environments, or network-based elements. Conference sessions may combine academic presentations with mediated performances; we encourage proposals which push the boundaries of the traditional conference paper in form and content.
Proposals should not exceed 500 words in length. Please indicate which of the above themes your paper falls under. Proposals should be submitted to electronically to: andreas.kitzmann@kau.se or via regular mail to:
Andreas Kitzmann Dept. of Media and Communications University of Karlstad 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden Fax: 46-(0)54-838445 tel: 46-(0)54-700-2105
If your presentation requires specific media or technical support (computer or network access, 35 MM slides, videotape, etc.), describe your needs in detail, including specific OS or hardware requirements (Mac OS or Windows), if appropriate. All proposals *must* be submitted in WWW-ready format (ASCII text, or simple HTML code), either as attachments to email correspondence or within the body of the email message.
PERFORMANCES / INSTALLATIONS / "NET"WORK
NEXT is generally interested in artistic work that advances new concepts of technology, and more particularly in electronic art in which content is directly informed by an understanding of technological theory. Pieces which address concerns related to the above-stated themes will have the best chance of success. NEXT will screen installations, video tapes, performances, games, and anything in-between.
Please submit a 2-page description of your project, a 1-page biography, a complete list of technical requirements, plus examples of your work on NTSC VHS tapes, PC or Mac CD-ROM, DVD, or Audio CD to:
Steve Gibson Digital Media, Faculty of Fine Arts University of Victoria Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
Please be aware that NEXT has a limited budget for equipment rental. Those projects in which the artist provides his or her own equipment will have the greatest chance of being accepted to NEXT.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: January 15, 2003
Notification of acceptance of proposals will be sent out in February.
Contact Information
Robert Burnett: Robert Burnett@kau.se (Director of Next) Andreas Kitzmann: Andreas Kitzmann@kau.se (editor, papers and general enquiries) Malin Sveningsson: Malin Sveningsson@kau.se (editor, papers) Steve Gibson: sgibson@pop.finearts.uvic.ca (editor, artistic works)
Web Site: http://www.media.kau.se/next2/